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How to Watch Out-of-Market NFL Games

Simon Migliano

Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.

Additional Research by Luc Williams

Our Verdict

To watch out-of-market NFL games, connect to a VPN server in Mexico and use NFL Game Pass. By doing this, you can watch every NFL game, including Sunday Night Football and NFL RedZone, without cable. The best VPN for NFL Game Pass is ExpressVPN, as its fast speeds reliably live-stream games in Full HD.

NFL fan watching an out-of-market Dallas Cowboys game from New York

Quick Guide: How to Watch Out-of-Market NFL Games

  1. Subscribe to a VPN service that streams NFL Game Pass: ExpressVPN performed best in our tests.
  2. Connect to a VPN server outside of the US and Canada: We recommend getting a Mexican IP address for the fastest speeds.
  3. Open NFL Game Pass and stream your favorite team: You’ll now have access to every out-of-market NFL game.

To live stream out-of-market NFL games, you ordinarily have to subscribe to three different paid-for subscription services. These include DirecTV, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube TV. In total, this typically costs over $1,000 per year.

However, all NFL games are shown live on NFL Game Pass, including the Super Bowl. Game Pass is available in every country outside of USA and Canada. Using a virtual private network (VPN), you can disguise your physical location and appear to be in a country where Game Pass is available.

Our research found that you can get an NFL Game Pass subscription for just $3.20 when signing up via a Brazil VPN server — a huge discount compared to other Game Pass pricing plans which can cost over $100 per month.

Game Pass is free for the first seven days, and includes access to all out-of-market NFL Games, as well as NFL RedZone and the NFL Network.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to sign up for NFL Game Pass from the US and how to use a VPN with it to watch every NFL game live, including on Fire TV. We’ll also compare NFL Game Pass to other ways to watch NFL games, such as NFL+ and Sunday Ticket.

How to Sign Up for NFL Game Pass with a VPN

NFL Game Pass is no longer available in the US or Canada. The simplest way to sign up for it in 2023 is by using a VPN service.

With a VPN app, you can obfuscate your IP address and appear to be in a country where NFL Game Pass is available.

Our research also found that by signing up through certain regions, like Brazil, you can get a cheap NFL Game Pass subscription at a huge discount.

Following this method, you can stream every NFL game without cable for just $38. This is an annual discount of approximately $1,200 compared to other subscription plans.

Here’s how to sign up for NFL Game Pass International from the US or Canada:

  1. Subscribe to a VPN service and download the app: ExpressVPN worked best in our tests.
  2. Open the VPN app and connect to the Brazil server: We found that Brazil has by far the cheapest pricing plans.
  3. Open the NFL Game Pass website and click Sign Up Now.
  4. Choose the Pro Annual plan and click Sign Up Now again: This gives you the most content at the best price.
  5. Enter your details and press Create Account: You can enter any random Brazil ZIP code as this isn’t verified.
  6. Enter your payment information: This works with any debit or credit cards, including those registered in the US.
  7. Disconnect from the VPN server: If you don’t disconnect from the server before confirming, your payment will be blocked.
  8. Press Confirm Your Order.
  9. You now have access to every out-of-market NFL game on Game Pass: You can stream every game when connected to any server outside of the US and Canada.

EXPERT TIP: For the best performance, connect to a Mexico VPN server once you’ve signed up. As Mexico is closer to the US than Brazil, you’ll generally experience faster download speeds and better-quality live streams.

How to Watch Out-of-Market NFL Games Using a VPN

Once you’ve signed up for NFL Game Pass, watching out-of-market games without cable is easy. On most devices, simply launch the VPN client, connect to a Mexico VPN server and open the NFL Game Pass website or app.

The steps to do this differ between platforms, though. Although it’s straightforward on mobile and desktop devices, VPN software can’t be installed on many digital media players, including Chromecast.

Here’s a quick summary of the methods required to watch out-of-market NFL games on different devices:

Platform
Method
Set-up Difficulty
Desktop (Windows & Mac)
VPN App
Easy
Mobile (iOS & Android)
VPN App
Easy
Fire TV
VPN App
Easy
Apple TV & Games Consoles
Smart DNS
Medium
Chromecast
Mobile Hotspot
Medium

We’ll show you exactly how to change your IP address and stream every NFL game in the sections below.

EXPERT TIP: NFL Game Pass is not available on Roku. If you have a Roku device, we recommend simply purchasing a Fire TV Stick to watch out-of-market NFL games cheaply. Firesticks are cheap and are easy to use with VPNs and NFL Game Pass.

Desktop or Laptop (Windows & Mac)

To watch every NFL game on your desktop or laptop computer, you simply have to connect to a VPN server outside of the US and Canada and open the NFL Game Pass website.

Here’s how to use a VPN to stream NFL Game Pass on a computer:

  1. Sign up for a compatible VPN service and download the app: ExpressVPN worked best with NFL Game Pass in our tests.
  2. Open the VPN app and connect to a Mexico VPN server:
    We recommend Mexico for the fastest speeds from the US, but any other region will work.
  3. Go to the NFL Game Pass website in your web browser: If you’re not already signed up, read how to get a Game Pass subscription in the section above.
  4. Start streaming: To watch live games, click Games at the top left. You can also select NFL RedZone or NFL Network.

If you see an error or your live stream doesn’t load, try our workarounds.

See us using ExpressVPN to stream Sunday NFL games without NFL Sunday Ticket in the video below:

How to use a VPN with NFL Game Pass on desktop and laptop computers.

Mobile (Android, iPhone & iPad)

To watch out-of-market games on your phone, you’ll need an Apple or Google account registered in a country where Game Pass is available. Otherwise, the NFL Game Pass International app won’t show in the app store.

Thankfully, the NFL Game Pass International app uses your IP address and not your phone’s GPS to estimate your location. As a result, most VPN services work with this method.

Here’s how to download the NFL Game Pass International app and stream NFL games on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device:

  1. Make sure you have an active NFL Game Pass subscription: If you don’t, read the dedicated section of our guide to find out how.
  2. Subscribe to a VPN that works with NFL Game Pass: We recommend ExpressVPN.
  3. Depending on your device, create a new Apple ID or Google Account registered in the UK: You won’t need to connect to a VPN server in the UK to do this. We recommend the UK for this step as it’s simple to set up a new account without any additional information, like a verified address.
  4. Download the Game Pass app from the appropriate app store: It’s called NFL Game Pass International and it’s developed by deltatre. If you can’t see it, check you’re signed into your new account.
  5. Open the VPN app and connect to a Mexico VPN server.
  6. Open the NFL Game Pass International app and select your favorite team: Every live game will be available from the home screen.
Watching out-of-market NFL games on iOS

You can use a VPN to stream out-of-market NFL games on iOS.

EXPERT TIP: You should never download an unverified .APK file on Android. Although other publications recommend doing this to avoid step (2), these files are not protected by Google Play Protect and often contain malware.

Fire TV

Live streaming geo-restricted NFL games on Firestick is straightforward, but it requires an Amazon account registered outside of the US or Canada. Without one, the NFL Game Pass International app won’t be available from the Amazon Appstore.

Here’s how to stream out-of-market games on Fire TV:

  1. Change the country where your Amazon account is registered: On your phone or computer, sign into the Amazon account linked to your Firestick. Go to Manage Your Content Devices > Preferences > Country Settings. Select Change > United Kingdom (UK). Enter a random UK address and click Update to confirm.
  2. Restart your Fire TV Stick to clear the location cache: Hold down the Select and Play buttons on the remote simultaneously for five seconds.
  3. Sign up for an NFL VPN and download the app to your Firestick: ExpressVPN’s Fire OS app is fully-featured and works with the NFL Game Pass app.
  4. Open the VPN app and connect to a Mexico server.
  5. Download the NFL Game Pass International app from the Amazon Appstore: If you can’t see the app, make sure you’ve completed Step 1 correctly. Then, repeat Step 2.
  6. Open the NFL app and stream the game you want to watch.
Watching NFL on Fire TV

NFL Game Pass broadcasts every game in 1080p on Fire TV.

EXPERT TIP: Do not live stream NFL games on Fire TV Stick using Kodi. There’s no official NFL Game Pass add-on, so most of the live streams on the platform are provided by illegal add-ons.

Apple TV, Smart TV & Game Consoles

Some devices, like Apple TV and PS5, aren’t compatible with VPN software. As a result, you’ll have to use a Smart DNS proxy to watch out-of-market NFL games on these devices.

Smart DNS routes a portion of your internet traffic through a proxy server in another country. This can be configured in your device’s settings, without the need for an app.

Here’s how to bypass NFL geo-blocks on Apple TV, Smart TV, and game consoles:

  1. Sign up for a Smart DNS service: Control D is the only option that could access NFL Game Pass in our tests.
  2. Give the service your IP address: You need to give Control D your IP address so that it can add your credentials to its allowlist. Do this by simply logging into the Control D website from your phone or computer while connected to the same WiFi network as your Apple TV.
  3. Change DNS server location: On the Control D website, click Services, then Video. Toggle NFL to on. Select Redirected and choose Mexico as the location.
  4. Find your Control D DNS address: Click the account icon at the top right and click My Resolvers. Note down the IPv4 Primary option.
  5. Change your device’s DNS settings: This will typically be found in the Network section of the device’s settings.
  6. Restart your device: This will clear the location cache.
  7. Open the NFL Game Pass app on your device: You’ll now be able to stream your favorite team.

Chromecast

You can’t install VPN apps on Chromecast. You also can’t edit DNS settings, so it’s incompatible with Smart DNS services.

The easiest way to stream out-of-market NFL games on Chromecast is to set up a virtual router from your computer. If you don’t have one, you’ll have to set up a VPN router or watch NFL on a different device.

Here’s how to share a VPN connection from Windows to Roku or Chromecast:

  1. Sign up for a VPN that works with NFL Game Pass and download the app: ExpressVPN was the most reliable option in our tests.
  2. On your mobile, download the NFL Game Pass app: you may need to create a new Google account or Apple ID based in the UK.
  3. On your PC, create your virtual router using Windows Command Prompt: Enter the following command: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=NETWORKNAME key=PASSWORD. Make sure to replace NETWORKNAME and PASSWORD with your own WiFi network’s name and password.
  4. Enable your virtual router: Type netsh wlan start hostednetwork and press Enter.
  5. Find the name of your network: Press the Windows key + R. Type ncpa.cpl and press Enter. The name of your virtual router will be in bold.
  6. Turn on Windows mobile hotspot: Go to Settings > Network & Internet and toggle Mobile hotspot to on.
  7. Configure the WiFi sharing: Go back to Network & Internet in settings and click Change adapter options. Right-click your VPN’s Tap Adapter and choose Properties. Click the Sharing tab and tick the second box labeled Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
  8. Share your newly created WiFi connection: Open the dropdown menu where it says Home networking connection and choose the hotspot you’ve created.
  9. Connect your PC and mobile to a VPN server in Mexico.
  10. Connect your Chromecast to your new network: Restart the device to remove any cache files.
  11. Stream the game you want to watch: You can cast the game using the NFL Game Pass app on your phone.

Other Ways to Watch NFL Games

In the sections above, we’ve focused on NFL Game Pass. We’ve done this as our research found it’s by far the best way to watch out-of-market NFL games.

However, there are other ways to watch NFL games if you don’t want to use a VPN service. You can quickly compare all the options with NFL Game Pass in the table below:

Service Legal Status Game Coverage NFL RedZone Free Trial Monthly Cost Cable Required VPN Required
NFL Game Pass Legal Every game Yes 7 days $3.20 No Yes
DAZN Canada Legal Every game Yes 30 days $24.99 No Yes
DirecTV Sunday Ticket Legal All Sunday games Yes 7 days $112.99 Yes Yes
NFL+ Legal Local team’s games only No 7 days $9.99 No Yes
OTT Media Services Legal Local and televised games Yes 14 days $64.99 No No
Amazon Prime Video Legal Thursday night games No 30 days $14.99 No Yes
Free NFL Streaming Sites Ilegal Every game Yes N/A Free No No

We detail the pros and cons of each way to stream NFL games in the sections below. We’ll also explain what games you can access using them, as well as how they compare to NFL Game Pass International.

1. DAZN Canada

Pros compared to NFL Game Pass
Cons compared to NFL Game Pass
  • Longer free trial period
  • Includes lots of other live sports
  • Compatible with fewer VPN services
  • $21 more expensive per month
  • Doesn’t support full HD (1080p) live streams

SUMMARY:
DAZN is still a top choice if you want to watch other sports, like boxing and cricket. But if you’re mostly interested in streaming out-of-market NFL games, then NFL Game Pass is the better option.

Using DAZN Canada to stream NFL RedZone

DAZN Canada includes access to NFL RedZone.

DAZN Canada is the best alternative to Game Pass. The streaming service hosts every game in the NFL season, including preseason ones. It’s also easy to use, doesn’t require a foreign payment method, and includes more coverage of other sports than any other streaming service.

DAZN also has many useful features that we didn’t see on other NFL streaming sites. Using DAZN on a Sunday night, we could display up to four games live at once. You can substitute these easily, so we could also stream other sports, including live soccer and baseball.

That said, throughout the season, you’ll end up paying $126 more using DAZN Canada compared to Game Pass.

Even with this additional price, DAZN streams NFL in a lower resolution to Game Pass — 720p instead of 1080p — and it’s much harder to find a VPN that works with DAZN. Of the 55 VPNs we tested, just five worked with DAZN Canada, but over 30 streamed NFL Game Pass.

2. DirecTV Sunday Ticket

Pros compared to NFL Game Pass
Cons compared to NFL Game Pass
  • Doesn’t require a VPN subscription
  • $109 more expensive per month
  • Doesn’t have Thursday Night Football
  • Requires an existing cable subscription

SUMMARY:
We strongly recommend against signing up for NFL Sunday Ticket. NFL Game Pass is a lot cheaper, it has short-term subscription plans, plus it includes Thursday Night Football.

DirecTV Sunday Ticket sign-up screen

DirecTV Sunday Ticket is the most expensive way to watch NFL games.

DirecTV Sunday Ticket is a good alternative to NFL Game Pass, but it’s not affordable for most people. Using it, you can watch out-of-market Sunday Night Football as well as NFL RedZone. You cannot get it using DirecTV Stream, so you’ll have to have DirecTV’s satellite cable subscription.

Sunday Ticket on DirecTV is extremely expensive. To watch it, you’ll have to pay at least $113 per month as it also requires a Sunday Ticket cable add-on. As well, DirecTV will lose the rights to Sunday Ticket after the 2022/2023 season, so you’ll have to continue paying for the cable plan after the season has finished.

Given its price, we expected to see more impressive studio analysis of the games. Instead, Sunday Ticket simply re-airs the games from the free local CBS or FOX broadcast. These are the same streams that are available on NFL Game Pass for a significantly lower price.

3. NFL+

Pros compared to NFL Game Pass
Cons compared to NFL Game Pass
  • Doesn’t require a VPN subscription
  • Mobile-only
  • Doesn’t include out-of-market NFL games
  • More expensive
  • No access to NFL RedZone
  • Only available in the US

SUMMARY:
We don’t recommend using NFL+ unless you’re only interested in game replays.

NFL+ app

NFL+ only works on mobile devices.

NFL+ is a US-only streaming service by the NFL. Before the 2022/23 NFL season, NFL+ was named NFL Game Pass in the US. What’s now called NFL Game Pass was named NFL Game Pass International.

However, NFL+ doesn’t come close to matching the features currently offered by Game Pass. The main downside to NFL+ is that it doesn’t have live out-of-market games. You can only watch live local and primetime games as well as preseason games.

As well, there’s no way to watch NFL+ on your computer, laptop, or TV. Games are only available on your tablet or phone. Using it, you can watch full replays of every game after the telecast has finished.

In contrast, NFL Game Pass International is cheaper, it provides access to far more games, and you can use it on your TV or computer.

4. Over-the-top Media Services (YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV)

Pros compared to NFL Game Pass
Cons compared to NFL Game Pass
  • Doesn’t require a VPN subscription
  • Longer free trial period
  • $61 more expensive per month
  • Doesn’t have Thursday or Sunday games
  • NFL RedZone costs extra

SUMMARY:
OTT media services compare poorly to an NFL Game Pass subscription. To get NFL RedZone and stream every game live at a much cheaper rate, we suggest choosing Game Pass instead.

Live NFL game on YouTube TV

YouTube TV allows you to watch local NFL games without a traditional cable subscription.

You cannot watch out-of-market games on over-the-top (OTT) media services, such as YouTube TV and Sling TV. These OTT services only allow you to access traditional cable channels.

We were only able to stream what’s typically offered in our local area plus nationally broadcast games. You won’t be able to access Thursday Night Football or any non-televised Sunday games.

To see highlights from live Sunday afternoon games, you have to pay extra to get NFL RedZone. However, this is a $10 add-on on top of an already expensive OTT subscription.

5. Amazon Prime Video

Pros compared to NFL Game Pass
Cons compared to NFL Game Pass
  • Doesn’t require a VPN subscription
  • Longer free trial period
  • No additional cost for Prime subscribers
  • 257 fewer games
  • $12 more expensive per month
  • Doesn’t have NFL RedZone

SUMMARY:
We only recommend using Prime Video for NFL if you’re already subscribed to Amazon Prime. Otherwise, there are cheaper options available with over 17 times more games.

Streaming NFL on Prime Video

Prime Video only shows Thursday Night Football.

Prime Video is a poor option for watching out-of-market NFL games. The streaming service only broadcasts Thursday Night Football, meaning you can only watch one game a week. It also doesn’t have any postseason games or the Super Bowl.

Prime Video shows just 15 regular season games per season. By comparison, all 272 games are available on alternative services, including Game Pass and DAZN Canada.

Although Prime Video is relatively expensive, we found that you can watch every Thursday Night Football game free on Twitch. The Amazon-owned live streaming service is simulcasting each game in English and Spanish. To stream, go to the Prime Video Twitch channel and click play. You won’t need to register for an account.

6. Free NFL Streaming Sites

Pros compared to NFL Game Pass
Cons compared to NFL Game Pass
  • Free
  • Illegal
  • Some contain malware

SUMMARY:
Although many other publications recommend 100% free NFL streaming websites, we discovered that these sites host copyrighted content and are therefore illegal. You should not use them under any circumstances.

Scanning free NFL streaming sites for malware

Free NFL streaming sites are illegal and often contain malware.

When analyzing popular NFL stream sites, like USTVGO and BossCast, we also found that all of them contained viruses, malware, and invasive tracking ads.

We ran multiple free NFL website URLs through Virus Total’s virus scanner. In every case, malicious files were detected. You can see the results from BossCast in the screenshot below.

Here’s a list of free NFL streaming websites you should avoid:

  • 123 TV
  • BossCast
  • Buffstreams
  • CricFreeTV
  • Live TV
  • NFLBites
  • NFLWebcast
  • Stream2Watch
  • StreamNFL
  • USTVGO

EXPERT TIP: To live stream NFL games for free, sign up for a free trial from one of the legitimate services we recommend. You can also watch Thursday Night Football for free all season on Twitch.

The Best Free & Premium VPNs for NFL Game Pass

Based on our latest tests, the best NFL VPNs are:

  1. ExpressVPN – Best overall VPN for NFL Game Pass.
  2. Windscribe – Best 100% free VPN for streaming the NFL online.

Both of the VPNs above worked with NFL Game Pass in multiple countries, including nearby locations like Mexico. They also streamed Game Pass in HD and are either 100% free or have a 30-day refund period.

We ranked the two best VPNs for watching out-of-market NFL games based on the following performance criteria:

  • Works with NFL Game Pass, preferably on a Mexico VPN server for the best speeds connecting from the US.
  • Bypasses geo-blocks of other NFL streaming sites as well, such as DAZN Canada, NFL+, and YouTube TV.
  • Fast download speeds to stream live games in full HD with no buffering.
  • Intuitive app interface to make it easy to bypass NFL geo-blocks.
  • Free-to-use, either through a 100% free subscription or with a money-back guarantee.
  • Compatibility with all devices, including digital media players, to stream out-of-market NFL games on your TV.
  • Helpful customer support team to aid with VPN setup or to find a compatible VPN server for the NFL.
  • To learn about our unbiased testing process, read how we evaluate and review VPN services.

The Top VPNs for NFL Game Pass Compared

Use the table below to compare the best VPNs for streaming the NFL online side-by-side:

ExpressVPN
Windscribe Free
Works with NFL Game Pass
Yes
Yes
Mexico Server
Yes
No
Brazil Server
Yes
No
Monthly Data Cap
Unlimited
10GB
International Download Speed (Out of 100Mbps)
83Mbps
48.72Mbps
Smart DNS
Doesn’t work with Game Pass
Additional subscription
Router App
Yes
No
Cheapest Price
$6.67
100% Free

1. ExpressVPN: Best Overall VPN for the NFL

Bypasses NFL geo-blocks with fast speeds in many locations.

Pros
Cons
  • Accesses NFL Game Pass on all international servers
  • Fast download speeds
  • Includes a Brazil server for a cheap NFL Game Pass subscription
  • Streaming-optimized servers in 94 countries
  • Fully-featured app for Fire TV Stick
  • App for routers
  • Expensive
  • MediaStreamer doesn’t work with Game Pass
Using ExpressVPN to watch out-of-market NFL games

ExpressVPN works with every NFL streaming site.

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming the NFL online. Using it, we could stream NFL games on every streaming service, including NFL Game Pass, NFL+, DAZN Canada, and Prime Video.

The VPN service also comes with a Mexico server for fast connections to NFL Game Pass International from the US, and it has a Brazil server to get a cheap Game Pass subscription. It’s more expensive than its competitors, but ExpressVPN is worth the extra cost.

Works with more NFL streaming sites than any VPN

We tested 55 free and premium VPNs with popular NFL streaming websites.

We found that ExpressVPN was the only VPN service to unblock all of them. It worked with every service we tested it with, including NFL Game Pass, YouTube TV, and ProSieben. By comparison, top VPNs like IPVanish streamed four fewer services.

We’ve collected the full results of our NFL VPN research in the table below:

VPN Service
NFL Game Pass
Amazon Prime Video
DAZN Canada
NFL+
OTT Media Services
ProSieben
CyberGhost
ExpressVPN
IPVanish
NordVPN
PIA
PrivateVPN
Proton VPN Free
Surfshark
TunnelBear Free
Windscribe Free

As you can see in the table above, every VPN we tested worked with NFL Game Pass international. That said, we experienced poor speeds from most, as we’ll discuss in the next section.

Fastest download speeds for streaming the NFL

Though most VPNs work with NFL Game Pass International, few can stream it in full HD without lag or buffering. When using some VPNs, like TunnelBear and Proton VPN Free, our videos took up to a minute to load and would only stream in standard definition (SD).

To stream Game Pass in full HD (1080p) at 30 frames per second (FPS), the NFL states that you need a download speed of at least 6Mbps.

Connecting to ExpressVPN servers from a test location in New York, we consistently recorded speeds well above the 6Mbps threshold. You can see our full results in the table below:

Server Location
Download Speed (Mbps)
Speed Loss (%)
Distance (miles)
Starting Speed (New York)
100Mbps
/
0 mi
Mexico
90Mbps
10%
2090 mi
Frankfurt
80Mbps
20%
3855 mi
London
90Mbps
10%
3451 mi
Paris
82Mbps
18%
3635 mi

Using ExpressVPN, you can get a US IP address from 11 states, so you’ll usually be able to connect to a fast nearby server. This also makes it a top VPN for NBA League Pass and to avoid MLB and other sports blackouts.

Unlike many 100% free options, ExpressVPN doesn’t come with any data cap, nor does it throttle connections. You can use it to stream as many NFL games as you want.

Superb router app, but MediaStreamer doesn’t work with the NFL

Disappointingly, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS feature doesn’t work with NFL streaming sites. In our tests, it failed to access NFL Game Pass, NFL+, and DAZN Canada. It did stream games on Prime Video, but these are available everywhere on Twitch anyway.

However, ExpressVPN is the only NFL VPN that has an app for routers. With the other VPNs we tested, like NordVPN and PIA, you have to manually configure the VPN settings using confusing router firmware.

With ExpressVPN’s router software, you can easily spoof your location on devices that don’t support VPN apps, like Apple TV and Chromecast.

If you need help setting this up, you can contact ExpressVPN’s 24/7 customer support team. The VPN’s live chat agents are knowledgeable and quick to respond, so you can get help whenever you need it.

2. Windscribe: Best 100% Free VPN for NFL Game Pass

Completely free VPN that streams NFL Game Pass from 7 server locations.

Pros
Cons
  • Completely free with no payment details required
  • Streams NFL Game Pass on all international servers
  • Apps for Fire TV Stick and Android TV
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Works with DAZN Canada, OTT media services & NFL+
  • Free servers in 7 international countries
  • 10GB data cap
  • Smart DNS requires a paid subscription
  • Slow speeds compared to premium VPNs
  • No Mexico or Brazil server for NFL Game Pass
  • Poor customer support
Using Windscribe Free to watch out-of-market NFL games

We watched out-of-market NFL games for free with Windscribe.

Windscribe is the best VPN for watching the NFL for free. Using its free subscription, you can take advantage of an NFL streaming site’s free trial and watch out-of-market NFL games without paying a cent.

That said, the VPN’s performance doesn’t come close to matching premium options, like ExpressVPN. It has slow download speeds and only allows you to use 10GB of data per month.

Windscribe streams live NFL games for free

Unlike every other top NFL VPN, Windscribe is 100% free and doesn’t require any payment details. You will need to sign up and provide an active email address to get more than 2GB of data, though.

To watch NFL games for free, we used a free Windscribe account and signed up for a DAZN Canada free trial. By doing this, we live-streamed out-of-market games for free for 30 days. We quickly used up our 10GB data allowance, though, but we got around this by taking advantage of Control D’s 30-day free trial.

Excellent platform support using Control D

Windscribe is the only VPN service with a Smart DNS feature that works with the NFL. Named Control D, you can change your location on devices that don’t support VPN apps, including Apple TV and game consoles.

The other Smart DNS features we tested, like ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer and NordVPN’s Smart DNS, only allow you to redirect your traffic through a US DNS server — making them useless for bypassing NFL geo-blocks. With Control D, you can choose between 68 countries, including Mexico.

Configuring Control D to bypass NFL's geo-blocks

Control D lets you bypass geo-blocks on more devices than ExpressVPN.

The feature comes with a 30-day free trial and, unlike Windscribe Free, doesn’t impose a data cap. Using it, we could stream NFL Game Pass and DAZN Canada for free from anywhere.

Slow speeds and only 10GB of monthly data allowance

Windscribe’s speeds are a lot slower than the top paid-for VPNs, made worse as there’s no nearby free server to connect to. To stream the NFL, you’ll have to connect to France. Using Windscribe’s free France server, our NFL live streams took up to 20 seconds to load. With premium VPNs, like ExpressVPN, the videos loaded instantly without buffering.

The main drawback to using Windscribe Free is its 10GB monthly data cap. When using it to stream NFL games in HD, we used up our allowance after just five hours. This meant we weren’t able to watch more than two games in the month.

Proton VPN is the only safe free VPN with unlimited bandwidth, but it only works with NFL Game Pass 60% of the time. Windscribe worked every time in our tests. You also can’t use Proton VPN to stream any OTT media services, NFL+, or DAZN Canada.

Other Popular VPNs That We Considered

To find the best free and premium VPNs for streaming out-of-market NFL games, we tested 55 VPN services with NFL Game Pass. From these results, ExpressVPN and Windscribe are the only two that exceeded our testing criteria.

Here’s a list of other popular VPNs we evaluated and the reasons they didn’t pass our tests:

VPN Service Reason for Exclusion
CyberGhost
  • Doesn’t work with DAZN Canada
  • No router app
  • Smart DNS doesn’t work with NFL streaming sites
  • Slow speeds connecting to Mexico
IPVanish
  • Doesn’t work with DAZN Canada, NFL+, or YouTube TV
  • No router app
  • No Smart DNS feature
  • Slow international speeds
  • Unintuitive app design
NordVPN
  • No router app
  • Smart DNS doesn’t work with World Cup streaming sites
  • Unreliable with NFL Game Pass
Proton VPN Free
  • Doesn’t work with DAZN Canada, NFL+, Prime Video, or YouTube TV
  • Unreliable with NFL Game Pass
  • No browser extensions
  • No nearby servers
  • No router app
  • No Smart DNS feature
  • No live chat customer support
Private Internet Access (PIA)
  • Doesn’t work with DAZN Canada
  • No router app
  • Smart DNS doesn’t work with NFL streaming sites
Surfshark
  • Doesn’t work with DAZN Canada
  • No router app
  • No Smart DNS feature
  • Slow international speeds

How to Fix a VPN Not Working with NFL Game Pass

NFL Game Pass is easier to access than most other streaming sites, but it still actively blocks VPNs. In the sections below, we’ve listed some workarounds to bypass any error messages.

1. Make sure you don’t have an IP address from the US, Canada, UK, or Ireland

NFL Game Pass is not available at all in the US and Canada. As well, two regular season games each Sunday in the UK and Ireland are blacked out due to regional broadcasting agreements.

If you have an IP address from any of these locations, you won’t be able to stream every out-of-market NFL game.

To fix this, simply connect to a server in another country. We recommend Mexico, as it’s the closest location to the US and Canada.

2. Connect to a different VPN server

When your VPN stops working with Game Pass, it typically means the service has detected and banned your VPN server’s IP address.

To fix this, simply connect to another server in the same country. This will give you a new IP address that possibly hasn’t been blocked yet by Game Pass. If this still doesn’t work, try connecting to a server in another country.

3. Clear cache and browser cookies

NFL Game Pass remembers your location from previous visits. If you previously connected from an unsupported region, you might still be blocked even after connecting to a compatible VPN server.

To fix this, clear your browser’s cookies and cache files. This removes all the information that Game Pass has stored about your computer.

On Google Chrome, do this by clicking the three dots at the top right. Click More Tools > Clear browsing data > All time. Tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Click Clear data.

On mobile, clear cache by restarting your device.

Bypass ThreeDs2_Authentication_Exception Error Message

ThreeDs2_Authentication_Exception NFL Game Pass error message

You will see this error message when attempting to pay for NFL Game Pass using a VPN service. As many people are connecting via the same IP address, it’s flagged as potentially suspicious.

To fix this, simply disconnect from the VPN server before clicking ‘Confirm your order’. Wait for your payment to go through and then reconnect to the VPN.